A key complication facing teachers who seek to integrate technology in their teaching is the fact that most technologies are not designed for educational purposes. Making a tool an educational technology requires creative input from the teacher to redesign , or maybe even subvert the original intentions of the designer. The learning technology by design (LT/D) framework has been proposed as being an effective instructional technique to develop deeper understanding of technological pedagogical content knowledge. In this paper we expand our description of the LT/D technique to develop what we call a deep-play model for teacher professional development. The deep-play model integrates: a pedagogy for key 21st century learning skills b content that cuts across disciplines with trans-disciplinary cognitive tools c technology by the creative repurposing of tools for pedagogical purposes.

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Previous work provided foundations for the theory of web-mediated knowledge synthesis, a framework for using the web in more creative and generative ways. This article explores specific instances of the various elements of that theory in a single case from the initial study. That is, a thorough exploration of think-aloud, screen capture, and interview data from a single study participant provides a rich description of how divergent key word search phrases, synthesis for meaning, in-themoment insights, repurposing, reinforcement, and note-taking worked in concert to support creative syntheses of knowledge about ill-structured topics when learning on the web. Furthermore, 10 implications of this analysis for related curriculum and research design are provided.

As educators and administrators look to countless mobile apps, software programs, and web-based learning tools to meet the demands of students in remote, virtual, and hybrid settings, risks and assumptions of online platforms and assessments must be considered. With the urgency of the COVID-response closure of many schools and the unusual methods employed during the return to school in Fall 2020, there is no better time to examine the digital application literacy which is necessary for students to effectively transition to online learning and assessment. “Digital application literacy” (DAppLit), a specific form of media literacy, involves the nimble use of an app (web-based) or application (computer-based) for education, including assessment. Learners with impaired DAppLit face academic consequences, when insufficient literacy in the platform is the culprit. This paper first explores various skills and strategies from both traditional and digital assessments that digital application literacy requires. Then, it presents the value of low-stakes assessment experiences with applications to introduce navigation techniques and troubleshoot barriers users may face before undertaking weighted assessments. The importance of skills instruction and practice of DAppLit methods is presented. A four-step process is introduced to: 1) set learning goals; 2) guide learners through the application with explicit instructions before use; 3) provide low-stakes explorations; and 4) debrief to address any issues which could represent a failing of application literacy and not content knowledge in an assessment.

Ubiquitous and instant access to information on the Web is challenging what constitutes 21st century literacies. This article explores the notion of Web‐mediated knowledge synthesis, an approach to integrating Web‐based learning that may result in generative synthesis of ideas. This article describes the skills and strategies that may support learning in this way, including: (1) divergent keyword search phrases; (2) synthesis for meaning; (3) in‐the‐moment insights; (4) repurposing; (5) reinforcement; and, (6) note‐taking. Several suggestions for how to begin scaffolding these processes are also provided, based on examples from in‐service teachers during a master's level educational technology course.